Credit Reports and How to Dispute Credit Report Errors

Transcription

1 Credit Reports and How to Dispute Credit Report Errors The County Clerk's Office preserves and makes available to the public, including credit reporting agencies, all records affecting the title to real property. The Clerk's Office does not distribute information to credit reporting agencies. If an error appears on your credit report, our office may be able to assist you in finding the source information or you may find the record yourself online at In addition to the online index, we have public computers that are available. It is your responsibility to identify misinformation and to work with the credit reporting agency(ies) in removing any mistakes found in a credit report. The Federal Trade Commission has a simple publication on How to Dispute Credit Report Errors (copy attached) which includes the following topics: Getting Your Credit Report How to Order Your Free Report Correcting Errors Adding Accounts to Your File Sample Dispute Letter Annual Credit Report Request Form Additional information is available through the Federal Trade Commission by visiting it s website at Thank you for contacting the Deschutes County Clerk s Office.

2 September 2008 How to Dispute Credit Report Errors Y our credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy. Consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation s consumer reporting companies. Some financial advisors and consumer advocates suggest that you review your credit report periodically. Why? n Because the information it contains affects whether you can get a loan and how much you will have to pay to borrow money. n To make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up to date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job. n To help guard against identity theft. That s when someone uses your personal information like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job. Getting Your Credit Report An amendment to the FCRA requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. How to Order Your Free Report The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have set up one website, toll free telephone number, and mailing address through which you can order

3 FTC Facts For Consumers 2 your free annual report. To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call , or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box , Atlanta, GA You can use the form in this brochure, or you can print it from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, , and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box , Atlanta, GA You may get your free reports from each of the three nationwide consumer reporting companies at the same time, or from only one or two. The law allows you to get one free report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide consumer reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources. The law allows you to order one free copy of your credit report from each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies every 12 months. Other situations where you might be eligible for a free report Under federal law, you re also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance, or employment, based on information in your report. You must ask for your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company. You re also entitled to one free report a year if you re unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; if you re on welfare; or if your report is inaccurate because of fraud, including identity theft. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $10.50 for another copy of your report within a 12 month period. To buy a copy of your report, contact: Experian ; experian.com TransUnion ; transunion.com Equifax ; equifax.com Under state law, consumers in Colorado, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Vermont already have free access to their credit reports. For details, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit.

4 FTC Facts For Consumers 3 Correcting Errors Under the FCRA, both the consumer reporting company and the information provider (that is, the person, company, or organization that provides information about you to a consumer reporting company) are responsible for correcting inaccurate or incomplete information in your report. To take advantage of all your rights under this law, contact the consumer reporting company and the information provider. Step One Tell the consumer reporting company, in writing, what information you think is inaccurate. Include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. In addition to providing your complete name and address, your letter should clearly identify each item in your report you dispute, state the facts and explain why you dispute the information, and request that it be removed or corrected. You may want to enclose a copy of your report with the items in question circled. Your letter may look something like the one on page 4. Send your letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so you can document what the consumer reporting company received. Keep copies of your dispute letter and enclosures. Consumer reporting companies must investigate the items in question usually within 30 days unless they consider your dispute frivolous. They also must forward all the relevant data you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information. After the information provider receives notice of a dispute from the consumer reporting company, it must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the consumer reporting company. If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all three nationwide consumer reporting companies so they can correct the information in your file. When the investigation is complete, the consumer reporting company must give you the results in writing and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change. This free report does not count as your annual free report. If When the investigation is an item is changed or complete, the consumer deleted, the consumer reporting company reporting company must give cannot put the disputed you the results in writing and information back in your file unless the information a free copy of your report if the provider verifies that it is dispute results in a change. accurate and complete. The consumer reporting company also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider. If you ask, the consumer reporting company must send notices of any corrections to anyone who received your report in the past six months. You can have a corrected copy of your report sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes. If an investigation doesn t resolve your dispute with the consumer reporting company, you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and in future reports. You also can ask the

5 FTC Facts For Consumers 4 consumer reporting company to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report in the recent past. You can expect to pay a fee for this service. Sample Dispute Letter Date Your Name Your Address, City, State, Zip Code Step Two Tell the creditor or other information provider, in writing, that you dispute an item. Be sure to include copies (NOT originals) of documents that support your position. Many providers specify an address for disputes. If the provider reports the item to a consumer reporting company, it must include a notice of your dispute. And if you are correct that is, if the information is found to be inaccurate the information provider may not report it again. Complaint Department Name of Company Address City, State, Zip Code Dear Sir or Madam: I am writing to dispute the following information in my file. I have circled the items I dispute on the attached copy of the report I received. This item (identify item(s) disputed by name of source, such as creditors or tax court, and identify type of item, such as credit account, judgment, etc.) is (inaccurate or incomplete) because (describe what is inaccurate or incomplete and why). I am requesting that the item be removed (or request another specific change) to correct the information. Enclosed are copies of (use this sentence if applicable and describe any enclosed documentation, such as payment records and court documents) supporting my position. Please reinvestigate this (these) matter(s) and (delete or correct) the disputed item(s) as soon as possible. Sincerely, Your name Adding Accounts to Your File Your credit file may not reflect all your credit accounts. Although most national department store and all purpose bank credit card accounts will be included in your file, not all creditors supply information to consumer reporting companies: some local retailers, credit unions, and travel, entertainment, and gasoline card companies are among the creditors that don t. If you ve been told that you were denied credit because of an insufficient credit file or no credit file and you have accounts with creditors that don t appear in your credit file, ask the consumer reporting Enclosures: (List what you are enclosing.) companies to add this information to future reports. Although they are not required to do so, many consumer reporting companies will add verifiable accounts for a fee. However, understand that if these creditors do not report to the consumer reporting company on a regular basis, the added items will not be updated in your file. When negative information in your report is accurate, only the passage of time can assure its removal. A consumer reporting company can report most accurate negative information for seven

6 Annual Credit Report Request Form You have the right to get a free copy of your credit file disclosure, commonly called a credit report, once every 12 months, from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. For instant access to your free credit report, visit For more information on obtaining your free credit report, visit or call Use this form if you prefer to write to request your credit report from any, or all, of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies. The following information is required to process your request. Omission of any information may delay your request. Once complete, fold (do not staple or tape), place into a #10 envelope, affix required postage and mail to: Annual Credit Report Request Service P.O. Box Atlanta, GA Please use a Black or Blue Pen and write your responses in PRINTED CAPITAL LETTERS without touching the sides of the boxes like the examples listed below: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Social Security Number: - - Date of Birth: / / Month Day Year First Name M.I. Last Name Current Mailing Address: JR, SR, III, etc. House Number Street Name Apartment Number / Private Mailbox For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name City State ZipCode Previous Mailing Address (complete only if at current mailing address for less than two years): House Number Street Name Apartment Number / Private Mailbox For Puerto Rico Only: Print Urbanization Name City State ZipCode Shade Circle Like This > Not Like This > I want a credit report from (shade each that you would like to receive): Equifax Experian TransUnion Shade here if, for security reasons, you want your credit report to include no more than the last four digits of your Social Security Number. If additional information is needed to process your request, the consumer credit reporting company will contact you by mail. Your request will be processed within 15 days of receipt and then mailed to you. Copyright 2004, Central Source LLC 31238

7 FTC Facts For Consumers 6 years and bankruptcy information for 10 years. Information about an unpaid judgment against you can be reported for seven years or until the statute of limitations runs out, whichever is longer. There is no time limit on reporting: information about criminal convictions; information reported in response to your application for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year; and information reported because you ve applied for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance. There is a standard method for calculating the seven year reporting period. Generally, the period runs from the date that the event took place. For more information, see Building a Better Credit Report at ftc.gov/credit. The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint or to get free information on consumer issues, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, FTC-HELP ( ); TTY: The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Federal Trade Commission Bureau of Consumer Protection Division of Consumer and Business Education For The Consumer Federal Trade Commission ftc.gov ftc-help

September 2008 How to Dispute Credit Report Errors Y our credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you ve been sued or arrested, or have filed for bankruptcy.

Disputing Errors on Credit Reports Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you ve been sued or arrested,

Free credit reports The Federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) is enforced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and requires each nationwide consumer reporting company to provide you with a free copy

Credit Repair How to Help Yourself Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov You see the ads in newspapers, on TV, and online. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail, email messages, and

October 2008 Credit Repair: How To Help Yourself You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the Internet. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail, and maybe even calls offering

Credit repair Save your time and money by knowing the signs of a scam You see credit repair service offerings in newspapers, mail flyers, on TV or the Internet, and hear them on the radio or phone calls.

FTC Facts For Consumers Federal Trade Commission For The Consumer December 2005 www.ftc.gov 1-877-ftc-help Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the

FTC Facts For Consumers Federal Trade Commission For The Consumer December 2005 www.ftc.gov 1-877-ftc-help Credit Repair: Self-Help May Be Best You see the advertisements in newspapers, on TV, and on the

Facts On Credit Bureaus The following information relates to the understanding and use of a credit score. Listed are details regarding the determination of a credit score, how you can find out what your

Building a CREDIT REPORT Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov Shopping for a car? Applying for a job? Looking for a home? Getting your financial house in order? It s time to check your credit report.

Credit Scores Why is my Credit Score important? Lenders, such as banks and credit card companies, use credit scores to evaluate the potential risk posed by lending money to consumers and to mitigate losses

FTC Facts For Consumers Federal Trade Commission For The Consumer August 2005 Identity Crisis... What to Do If Your Identity is Stolen Maybe you never opened that account, but someone else did...someone

Credit Reports and Identity Theft Information in this packet concerning credit reports was gathered from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and can be found at www.consumerfinance.gov. Information

May 2009 Equal Credit Opportunity: Understanding Your Rights Under the Law People use credit to pay for education or a house, a remodeling job or a car, or to finance a loan to keep their business operating.

FACTS FOR National Consumer Law Center What You Should Know About Your Credit Report If you have ever applied for a credit card, a personal loan, insurance, or a job, there is probably a company keeping

You see the ads in newspapers, on TV, and online. You hear them on the radio. You get fliers in the mail, email messages, and maybe even calls offering credit repair services. They all make the same claims:

How to Order Your Free Credit Reports CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET 11 2/16/08 One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is to monitor your credit history. Now you can do that for free.

Appendix L Consumer Guides to Credit Reporting and Credit Scores (Appropriate for General Distribution) This appendix contains two consumer guides on credit reports and credit scores. The first guide summarizes

Credit Report Info Packet Information in this Packet What Is a Credit Report?.....................3 What Is a Credit Score?..................... 4 Who Can See Your Credit Report?.............. 5 Ordering

Understanding Your Credit Report What is credit? Credit is the use of someone else s money in exchange for a promise to pay it back on a given date. There are two major types of credit: Revolving and Installment.

CONSUMER ALERT MIKE COX ATTORNEY GENERAL The Attorney General provides Consumer Alerts to inform the public of unfair, misleading, or deceptive business practices, and to provide information and guidance

HEALTHY CREDIT Have you ever wondered about credit reports, credit scores and how to protect your personal information? Read more and learn how to keep your credit healthy. Jeanne S. answered an ad that

Credit Repair 101 Learn how to legally repair your own credit The myth is, that you need to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars with a large company to have your credit repaired. This is just not

Dear Consumer or Borrower: This document contains the following information: 1. Instructions from Advantage Credit for correcting errors found on reports ordered through Advantage Credit, when you have

How to Use Credit Latino Community Credit Union & Latino Community Development Center How to Use Credit Latino Community Credit Union & the Latino Community Development Center www.latinoccu.org Copyright

Identity Theft what you need to know Citi Identity Theft Solutions At Citi, we want to keep you informed about all of the issues that can affect your financial life. We re bringing you helpful information

Understanding your Credit Report The single most important document for protection against identity theft. What to do if you spot errors A recent study shows that 79 percent of credit reports contained

IDENTITY THEFT RESOURCE KIT TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 2 What To Do Now 3 Key Agencies to Contact 3 Other Important Contacts 4 Action Taken Form 6 Sample Letters 7 How Identity Theft Can Occur 9 What

Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Where to Start Filing Chapter 7 Bankruptcy: Where to Start Before you can file bankruptcy, you need to do some things to get ready. This checklist tells you how to get ready.

Credit Scores $ Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov Ever wonder how a lender decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using credit scoring systems to determine if you d

How Credit Scores Affect the Price of Credit and Insurance $ Federal Trade Commission consumer.ftc.gov Ever wonder how a lender decides whether to grant you credit? For years, creditors have been using

Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet is to be completed once you have contacted the Ottawa County Sheriff s Office and obtained a complaint number related to your identity

CREDIT REPORT: HOW TO CHECK YOUR CREDIT Getting a copy of your credit report is important because: it gives you an idea of what your credit history looks like, you can make sure that the information on

To Your Credit Building: Knowledge, Security, Confidence FDIC Financial Education Curriculum TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Who Poses the Most Credit Risk? 1 How to Get a Free Credit Report Once a Year 2 Annual

REQUESTING A REINVESTIGATION REINVESTIGATION REQUEST INSTRUCTIONS 1. To help expedite your reinvestigation request, you can complete and sign attached Form CRD-002 Reinvestigation Request, with legible

By Mark Schug Financial institutions (banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, and consumer finance companies) are private, profit seeking businesses. They expect to be paid back most of the

Checking and Clearing Credit History for Young People The Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act of 2011 requires each youth age 16 and older in foster care to receive each year until

Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet is to be completed once you have contacted the Lafayette County Sheriff s Department and obtained a report number related to your

Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet is to be completed once you have contacted the El Paso Police Department and obtained a police report number related to your identity

Investigation and Prosecution of Identity Theft In an effort to assist you in dealing with problems related to Identity Theft, the Menomonee Falls Police Department has prepared this packet of information

Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet should be completed once you have contacted Chandler Police Department and obtained a police report number related to your identity

Information and Instructions This packet is to be completed once you have contacted New York State University Police and obtained a police report number related to your identity theft case. To obtain a

How to Dispute an Item on Your Credit Report Note: Use these instructions and letter to dispute an item on your credit report that you believe to be wrong or inaccurate. These instructions and letter may

Dear Concerned Consumer, Identity theft is a growing problem of the Information Age. You have already taken the first important step in combating the problem by contacting HomeStar Bank & Financial Services.

CUSTOMER AGREEMENT File#: ICR LAST NAME FIRST NAME INITIAL SUFFIX (Sr., Jr., Etc) CURRENT ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP HOME TELEHONE WORK TELEPHONE CELLULAR TELEPHONE PREVIOUS ADDRESS (WITHIN LAST 5 YEARS) SOCIAL

Credit Reports and Credit Scores This program is made possible by a grant from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation through Smart Investing@Your Library, a partnership with the American Library Association.

Remedying the Effects of Identity Theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses your name, Social Security number, date of birth, or other identifying information, without authority, to commit fraud. For

Your Credit Report 750. 670. 620. 575. You may not think about them every day, but your credit reports and the three little digits that make up your credit score probably influence your life in many ways.

Your Credit Report 750. 670. 620. 575. You may not think about them every day, but your credit report and the three little digits that make up your credit score probably influence your life in many ways.

Identity Theft Victim Checklist THE FOLLOWING CHECKLIST PROVIDES THE STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE TO MINIMIZE DAMAGE TO YOUR FUNDS, FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS AND PERSONAL REPUTATION. Before you start Telephone calls

Identity Theft Assistance Kit A self-help guide to protecting yourself and your identity Stillman Bank works hard to serve and protect our customers identities and ensure their safety. That s why we have

CONSUMER INFORMATION SHEET 3 4/30//08 Identity Theft Victim Checklist This checklist can help identity theft victims clear up their records. It lists the actions most identity theft victims should take

Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet is to be completed once you have contacted Lake Oswego Police Department and obtained a police report number related to your identity

Understanding, managing, and rebuilding your credit Objective Bank of America is committed to providing information that will help you understand the effect credit can have on lending, and what you can

Your Credit Report Your Credit Report What It Says about You Most people finance their homes with mortgages and pay for their cars with loans. Young people often obtain loans to pay for college. And, of

Use this tip sheet to identify and address issues surrounding your credit and its history. This tip sheet covers the following topics: Ordering your credit report Reading a credit report Disputing information

FCS7232 YOU and YOUR CREDIT: Credit Reports 1 Michael S. Gutter, Joan P. Elmore, and Travis P. Mountain 2 Credit Report Basics Whether or not you are considering making a major financial move, it s a good

York County Sheriff's Office Identity Theft Victim s Packet Information and Instructions This packet should be completed once you have received a copy of your police report from the York County Sheriff's

Credit report review checklist Once you get your credit report, you will want to review it carefully. Ordering it is not enough you have to read it. Credit reports may have mistakes. And if there are mistakes,

MagnifyMoney Credit Repair ebook You don t have to pay money to repair your credit Our ebook will teach you: How to get your credit report, for free How to dispute incorrect information for free How to

Dear Consumer, Sometimes an identity thief can strike even if you ve been very careful about protecting your personal information. If you suspect that your personal information has been stolen and used

Your Credit Report 750. 670. 620. 575. You may not think about them every day, but your credit report and the three little digits that make up your credit score probably influence your life in many ways.

identity theft: How To Safeguard Your Privacy and Keep Your Good Name Do you know anyone who has been the victim of identity theft? If not, odds are you will soon. According to the Federal Trade Commission,